Mooka Madness
by R.L.N
Summary: Shinra scientists have artificially created a synthetic Mako drug called Mooka for non-SOLDIERS to use. It is highly addictive, giving the enhanced abilities for a short period of time before crashing and leaving the person craving more. (A/U, Yaoi, ZxR, G/C)


Title: Mooka Madness

Author: R.L.N.

Keywords: A/U, Yaoi

Pairings: ZxR, G/C

Spoilers: None.

Summary: Shinra scientists have artificially created a synthetic Mako drug called Mooka for non-SOLDIERS to use. It is highly addictive, giving the enhanced abilities for a short period of time before crashing and leaving the person craving more.

Rating: T (Language, Drug Use, Sexual Content)

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by their original creators. No money is being made and no infringement is intended.

Author's Note: I ended up writing this over the winter months after taking a mental illness and drug addiction course in college that inspired me.

**Mooka Madness**

The orders were clear and simple. Get in, get the troops, and get home. Fifteen troopers were assigned to the mission that had failed, and two SOLDIERS were going in to clean up the mess. First Class SOLDIER Angeal Hewley and his prodigy Third Class SOLDIER Zack Fair were ready as the helicopter began descending closer to the scene.

"No one's dead yet," the pilot's voice came over the speakers. "Boss wants it that way, yo."

"Agreed," Angeal said, and Zack nodded. They put on their game faces, and Angeal opened the side door to the helicopter. He jumped out, Zack following quickly behind him.

They landed in the soft dirt of a field, and the helicopter took off, a larger transport already en route to pick up the troops. Angeal and Zack unsheathed their swords and made their way towards the compound.

The guards were dealt with quickly and silently, and Angeal led the way towards a side door. It opened with no resistance, and they made their way through the dark building. After a few minutes of searching, they came upon a laboratory where several of the troops were discovered.

"Where are the rest of you?" Angeal asked, only counting twelve men.

"They took the captain," a man spoke up. The others nodded in silent confirmation. "Anderson's dead, they brought him back all…twitchy and he had a seizure and died. They took Strife when they came to clear out the body."

"Zack, take these men to the extraction point," Angeal ordered. "I'll find the others."

"Yes sir," Zack said, and Angeal watched the team head out. The last man stopped at the door and turned to Angeal.

"Strife's just a kid," the man said. "He's kind of our mascot, so don't let him die."

Angeal nodded, and focused on his task. He left the room through the second door and stealthily made his way through the compound. There were fewer guards that had to be dealt with, and Angeal finally found the remaining team in a second laboratory.

Strife was conscious, but he was bound and gagged to an exam table. The captain was bound on a second table next to him, and Angeal noticed the body wasn't moving. There was no one else in the room, and Angeal opened the door. Nothing jumped out at him as he approached the table, and Angeal set to work untying the gag and binds from the trooper. He really was just a kid.

"They gave him some injection," Strife said as soon as his mouth was free. "He started twitching…I think it was a seizure before he died."

"Any idea who did it?" Angeal said, working the binds.

"Short, black hair, huge spectacles," Strife responded immediately. "Male, hunched back, and wore a white lab coat."

"…Hojo?" Angeal muttered to himself, before undoing the last bind and pulling Strife to his feet. "Did they give you anything?"

Strife shook his head, and Angeal couldn't help feeling relieved. The kid would probably have died instantly if it took the larger, brawnier men more time. "Let's go."

They turned to leave, and Angeal nearly jolted in surprise. A man matching Strife's description stood in the doorway, but it wasn't Hojo. The most disturbing fact was he got there without Angeal noticing.

"I can't let you leave now!" the man said, his voice high and hysterical. "It's perfect! Look at me! I can see everything, hear everything, and I'm faster than you!"

"What did you do?" Angeal asked cautiously, noticing the muscle twitches and the shakiness of the rifle in the man's hands. "What did you give these men?"

"It's amazing!" the man exclaimed. The rifle dropped to the floor as he reached in his pockets. "Here! I'll give you some! Everyone should try this!"

Angeal didn't move, but the man took a step forward before his eyes rolled and the vials dropped to the floor and shattering as he collapsed, the seizure taking over his body. Angeal picked up one unbroken vial, looking at the blue liquid inside before pocketing it.

"Let's go," Angeal ordered for the second time, and this time they made their way out of the compound. They were just passing the room where the other men were held when a guard spotted them.

"Escapees!" the man yelled before Angeal silenced him, but it was too late. Red alarms and sirens starting blaring through the compound, and Angeal hissed out a curse as doors started closing and automatically locking.

"This way," Angeal said, and Strife obediently followed. They managed to make it through some open doors, but nothing Angeal found unlocked led outside. He began to figure he'd have to just blast his way through the walls when explosions blew up part of the building.

Angeal led Strife to the wreckage, and to his relief saw the helicopter that dropped them off firing weapons and tearing apart a way out. The guns ceased and Angeal managed to make his way out of the obliterated building, helping Strife as well.

The helicopter lowered almost to the ground, and the side door opened as Angeal approached. Zack held out his hand, and Angeal lifted Strife up and into Zack's reach before jumping in himself. He shut the door as the pilot took off, and sat back as they safely gained more altitude.

"Alarms went off and I figured I'd head back to help," Zack said, and Angeal looked at him with a crooked smile.

"Orders were to take the men out," Angeal reprimanded, but there was no heat behind it.

"You just said to take them there, you didn't say to leave with them," Zack pointed out, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Fortunately the helicopter was still around after I ordered the plane to take off. Got a lucky break on that one, otherwise we'd be stuck."

"You're not lucky, I'm just good, yo," the pilot added over the speakers, and Angeal chuckled a little before sitting back with a sigh, his hand going into his pocket and pulling out the vial of blue liquid.

"What is it, sir?" Strife asked, his voice soft but curious.

Angeal rotated the vial between his fingers, watching the liquid swirl. "I'm not sure," he answered, but he could sense Strife's uneasiness at the vial and put it back in his pocket out of sight. He smiled at the blond kid. "At least you're safe. We wouldn't want the mascot to have been injured."

Strife huffed at that, folding his arms over the seat buckles that strapped him safely in the chair. "Brame and his friends call me that," he said, his lip pouting slightly. "They're just jealous I got into the Betas and I'm only fourteen. Of course I'll be the one laughing when I'm their commanding officer next year."

Zack laughed and ruffled Strife's blond spiky hair. "You keep up that attitude, and you'll make it in six months!"

Strife batted away Zack's hand, but he was smiling. Zack sat back in his seat with a grin. "What's your name kid?"

"…Cloud," Strife answered. "Cloud Strife."

"I have high hopes for you, Cloud," Angeal said, and Cloud gave him an embarrassed smile, his chin tucking into the scarf the troopers all wore. Angeal gave him a reassuring smile before they all fell quiet, waiting to return to the Shinra Compound Grounds.

**Mooka Madness**

It was six months later, and the mission had been filed away and forgotten about by Angeal. It was brought to his mind again when he was overlooking the physical exams and recognized the spiky blond Cloud Strife. He must have made a noise, because his two companions, Genesis Rhapsodos and Sephiroth, both looked over to him.

"What is it?" Genesis asked curiously, not having seen anything outstanding from his point of view.

"That blond kid," Angeal said, pointing. "He was the one Zack and I rescued on the retrieval mission six months ago. He's determined to outperform his comrades, to show them up because he's the youngest."

"Zack recognizes him," Sephiroth pointed out, and they watched the younger man nearly knock over three men in his beeline for the blond. Angeal sighed. His student was more like a puppy than a SOLDIER. That thought was confirmed when Strife leapt to the side of the oncoming brunet and pointed to the ground, where Zack promptly sat.

Angeal frowned as his thoughts wandered. He had given the vial to Director Lazard, and never heard a follow up about it. Now that the thought was in his head, it gnawed at him to at least go figure out what the substance was, and why it killed two men.

"They're going to think you're disappointed in them, looking so serious," Genesis teased, and Angeal came out of his thoughts with a shake of his head. He had to focus, he'd follow up later that week.

Sephiroth was already at the computer, looking at the stats and levels of the troopers. He pulled it up onto the big screen for Genesis and Angeal to look at as well, and they went through the process of promoting troopers. There was brief hesitation when they came to Strife, Cloud.

His age was young at fourteen, but his stats were on par with the rest of the Betas. The only downside was the academic results…he was below by a significant amount, and no one was promoted with his grades despite the adequate stat results.

"He is only fourteen," Genesis said, tapping his chin. "Maybe he just can't learn it all?"

"He's good enough to get into Betas, he should be good enough to stay there," Sephiroth said.

"He won't improve much remaining in Betas," Angeal said, mostly to himself. "But he needs the academic work completed before the promotion." Angeal was disappointed, he really wanted the kid to have done well.

"Three month probation before promotion then," Sephiroth said, and Angeal looked at him surprised. The silver-haired general had already moved on to the next trooper, and Angeal gave his friend a brief smile of gratitude before continuing on.

**Mooka Madness**

"But Zack, I don't understand what a probation is," Cloud said, frowning at his results. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, not at all," Zack reassured him, ruffling Cloud's hair with a laugh. "Look, it says _needs academic grade improvement to qualify_. I had the same thing getting into SOLDIER. I was strong enough, but I flunked some of my courses so I was put on probation to get my grades up. Angeal took me as his student to train me so I could improve, and I worked on my grades to get to be a Third Class."

Cloud frowned, his brow furrowing as he stared at the paper. He and Zack were in the cafeteria eating dinner after his physical trial that day, and while Cloud wanted nothing more than to collapse in bed, Zack insisted that sleeping on an empty stomach would be no good.

"There's no mention of a mentor or a tutor," Cloud said, and Zack took the paper out of his grasp and sat on it.

"Eat your dinner," Zack ordered, and Cloud automatically picked up his fork and took a bite. Zack chuckled, shaking his head.

Cloud finished his dinner, and he and Zack sat there talking for a little while longer. Cloud was still worried, but Zack just reassured him that everything was going to be fine. It was getting late, and Cloud looked at his watch as it beeped on the hour.

"Oh…I should go," Cloud said, and Zack pouted.

"Going to bed?"

Cloud shook his head. "No, I promised I'd let Reno know how I did."

"Who's Reno?" Zack asked, frowning slightly.

"He's a Turk," Cloud informed, standing up. "He was the pilot on the rescue mission you saved me from. I met him that week, and I see him from time to time. He's always busy."

Cloud took his report back from Zack and smoothed out the wrinkles before waving and heading out of the cafeteria and towards the General Affairs Department of the Shinra Compound.

Cloud remembered getting lost the first time he arrived at the Shinra Compound. Shinra Tower was a massive front and center piece, with smaller buildings surrounding it within the compound. The barracks and training facility were on one side, with the SOLDIER living quarters on another. There were Turk training facilities on the last side, and past those facilities were the apartments and housing of executives and officials.

Cloud passed the training grounds and went into the apartment building. Reno lived on the fourth floor, and Cloud took the steps up. He knew the elevator was often booby trapped, and didn't want to risk needing another save.

Reno answered the knock on his door, and Cloud gave him a shy smile. "I didn't wake you, did I?" Cloud asked, stepping into the room as Reno motioned.

"Nah, yo," Reno said, shaking his head. "I had to pull some strings to have tonight off so I could see you. I was writing a report, and fell asleep."

Cloud laughed, and showed Reno his results. Reno just grinned and gave him a hair ruffle. "Get your grades up, huh? You can do that in no time, yo."

"Yeah, especially since you can assassinate the guys when they steal all my books again," Cloud said, batting Reno's hands away. What was it with his head and the hair ruffling? He saw the paper Reno had been writing, and picked it up. "Is this your report?"

"Yeah, but it's confidential," Reno said, reaching to take it back. Cloud dodged the lazy grasp, and skimmed over it quickly. "Wait…Reno…"

"Hmm?" Reno hummed, looking curious. "It's not really confidential, since so many people know about it. Tseng just doesn't want it spread around, it's practically an epidemic now."

Cloud bit his lip, handing Reno back his report with a shaky hand. "Reno, that sounds like…the drug they gave my captain that killed him."

Reno frowned, thinking back to when they first met. "You mean the extraction mission involved this?"

Cloud nodded. "What does the drug do?"

Reno scratched his head, putting the paper down on his coffee table. "It gives an extremely high burst of energy," Reno explained. "From what I can understand, it's like a synthetic Mako injection, but without the glowing eyes, and it's not permanent. These overdose cases are getting common though, it's the third one this week. Last week Tseng had to deal with two."

Cloud nodded, his brain working. He met Tseng before, and liked the older man enough to trust him. If the Turks are involved, especially one of Tseng's status, it had to be getting serious.

"Hey, no more worries," Reno said, kicking Cloud's leg gently. "You're three months from getting into the Omega team, and after that the Alpha team will be a cinch, yo."

Cloud grinned. "You'll have to start saluting me, after I'm made the youngest general."

Reno snorted. "Keep dreaming kid. I only salute to my targets, and that's with only one finger, yo."

Cloud laughed as Reno demonstrated, and they both fell into comfortable, companionable talk, the topic never going back to Reno's report.

**Mooka Madness**

Zack shoved his dirty clothes into the hamper and jumped into the shower after training with Angeal all day. He scrubbed quickly, and grabbed his clothes to dress before he had even dried off. Angeal was eyeing him as he ran through their shared apartment with a towel on his head, frantically trying to dry the long spikes.

"In a hurry?" Angeal asked, amused.

"Cloud's finishing his academic testing for Omega today," Zack said, pulling on clean socks and shoving his feet into his boots. "I want to be the first to see him when he gets his results, and I know Reno took the day off to try and do the same thing."

Zack ran a brush through his still damp hair before tossing the used towel in the hamper, and pitched his brush through his open door to land on his bed. He shouted a goodbye to Angeal before tearing out of the apartment, running down to the SOLDIER training facilities.

He made it in good time, and was definitely first there. But it wasn't long before the fiery red-headed Turk showed up, panting and laughing.

"I saw you across the compound," Reno said, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. "Running like a chocobo on fire, yo!"

Zack grinned, and Reno just shook his head. "Damn Mako stamina, yo," he scoffed, but he was grinning as well.

Zack fell silent, he was excited as he paced and did squats. He liked Reno, even if he was a little jealous that the Turk and Cloud were such good friends. But they welcomed him in with their "pizza and a movie" nights, and Zack found he liked both Reno and Cloud a lot. Of course Zack took it upon himself to protect Cloud's virtue, but he never got the idea that Reno ever tried anything with the blond.

The door opened, and troopers poured out, most groaning and many laughing. Cloud came out and made his way straight to where Reno and Zack were waiting. His lips were pressed thin, and Zack flung his arm over Cloud's shoulder as they went to the one of the many console screens to look up the results.

"I think I did well," Cloud said, but he was still tense. "I mean, I know I missed number 126, there was absolutely no reasoning to that. And I might have missed 213, two answers would have worked, and…"

Reno promptly stuck his hand over Cloud's rambling mouth, and the blond fell silent. Zack glanced at Reno over Cloud's head, and the red-head was looking back with an eyebrow raise and a shrug. Cloud was wedged between them as they crowded in front of the screen, and Zack could feel Cloud twitching in his anxiety.

There a loud _ding_ signaling scores were ready, and Cloud instantly typed in his student ID and hit the button to get his results. All three sucked in their breaths as the loading bar went from 0% to 100% loaded.

"…Damn, yo."

"I…can't believe it."

"No way!"

"_96_%!" Zack, Cloud, and Reno practically yelled in unison.

Sure enough, Cloud was the top marked student, the next best doing 92%. Zack still had his arm around Cloud's shoulder, and he began dragging the blond down the hall.

"Where are we going?" Cloud spluttered, nearly tripping over his feet as his brain was still in shock.

"Knowing Sephiroth, he's been waiting for the student exam results to promote," Zack said. "I bet he's going to promote you to Omega now. We'll see him in person so he can tell you and not have to wait for the computer."

The trio made their way into the SOLDIER offices and Zack knocked on a door. He patiently waited for a response, and he heard the command clearly through the door.

"So now is he in Omega?" Zack asked, opening the door and entering. He blinked and stopped short, Reno running into his back.

"Ow, yo, move," Reno said, pushing Zack forward. Zack budged a little, and felt Reno freeze beside him.

Zack lifted his arm from around Cloud to scratch the back of his head. "Sorry, are we interrupting?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No, Tseng and I are done."

Zack blinked at the tall Wutain man. This was Tseng? He had never met the man before. The man had an impeccable poker face as he regarded them, and Zack was about to fidget when he spoke.

"Reno, I need you to clock in," Tseng said, walking to the door. Zack and Cloud stepped out of the way, and Reno just nodded.

"Rod screw up the infiltration job?" Reno asked, but Tseng shook his head.

"No, he's dead."

"...What?" Reno breathed, and shot a look at Zack before following Tseng out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Zack frowned. Something was going on, and a quick glance at Sephiroth told him the man was tense and agitated about something.

"We came to see if you were going to complete the promotions," Zack finally said, and Sephiroth frowned. Zack thought he was in trouble before Sephiroth nodded, his features smoothing.

"That's right," Sephiroth said, and turned to his computer screen. "Strife, you're going into the Omegas. I'll sign the order now."

"T-thank you, sir!" Cloud said, his face brightening in a smile.

Zack grinned and waved as he dragged Cloud out of the offices. It was later that night after gorging on Angeal's dinner that Zack remembered Sephiroth's troubles. Cloud was back at the barracks, and Zack didn't want to bother Angeal with his thoughts, so he pushed them aside and went to bed.

**Mooka Madness**

"Where did you get it?" Cloud asked quietly, looking at the little bottle. It was filled with a blue liquid, and looked at his bunkmate Brame who was getting another bottle and a syringe ready. He had come back to the barracks after celebrating with Zack to find his bunkmate sneaking about with the syringe.

"There was a bitch I fucked earlier who had this," the older boy said. "I took a hit with her, it was amazing. So I stole her stash and brought it here."

"Is it illegal?" Cloud asked, watching as Brame pressed the needle into his arm.

"Ye-ah," Brame breathed, his eyes rolling in his head before he pulled out the needle and shook all over. "It's a great high, and this is a good time to celebrate and party."

Some of the other boys came over to use the drug, and Cloud kept the bottle he held while all the other ones were used. Soon the boys were up and partying, music was going quietly but it was like they all could hear it pounding throughout the room.

Cloud frowned as he looked at the blue liquid. The guys all seemed to be having fun, and Cloud felt like a kid sitting on his bed and not joining in. He picked up a needle and pushed it into the bottle, filling it up with all the contents.

"Yeah that's it!" someone shouted, making Cloud jump. He dropped the syringe, but Brame caught it fast and immediately jabbed it into his own arm. "Feel the…the-uh-uh-uh…"

Cloud let out a cry of terror as the older boy's body jerked where he stood and collapsed on Cloud. Cloud fought out from under the dead weight, feeling the jerks of the seizure that took over Brame. He landed on the floor and backed away from his bunk, eyes wide. He knew what was happening…he saw it happen before…

Was no one paying attention? Cloud jumped to his feet and ran from the barracks. He needed to get help.

**Mooka Madness**

Angeal woke to a pounding on the door. He was up and at the door as the urgent pounding continued. He opened it to find a wide eyed Cloud Strife freaking out in the hallway.

"You have to help!" Cloud blurted, and Angeal blinked, all traces of sleep gone at the sound of the teenager's voice.

"What's wrong?" Angeal asked, and heard Zack come out from his room.

"Brame is having a seizure!" Cloud said, clearly panicking. "I couldn't find the major, and no one's monitoring the barracks! I think it's the same drug that killed Captain Troger!"

Angeal quickly but gently grabbed Cloud's arm and pulled him into the apartment. "Zack, stay here with him," Angeal ordered, going back to his room. He came out a minute later fully dressed. "You both are to stay here, and you're not to speak to anyone unless I'm present. Understand?"

Both boys nodded, and Angeal left the apartment, keying in the master lock to assure they were locked inside.

He ran down to the barracks, and into the one Cloud stayed in. There were older boys scattered about, and everyone saw him and ran. Angeal saw one not moving on a bed, and quickly stepped over to the bunk.

The boy was perhaps seventeen, if that, and Angeal felt for the pulse but knew he was dead. There were needles and bottles all around, and Angeal knew it was a drug party. But just what kind of drug?

The bottles were empty, but there was a blue residue remaining. Angeal frowned before opening his phone and dialing.

"Get down to the barracks, we have our first OD," Angeal said, and closed his phone.

It wasn't long before Sephiroth and Genesis both appeared, and Angeal wasn't surprised Tseng was present as well.

"It's a Mooka OD," Angeal said, and Tseng nodded.

"How much would kill him?" Genesis asked, gesturing to all the bottles.

"Not much, all our ODs only have two, three tops," Tseng said, shaking his head. "It looks like he wasn't the only user."

"How'd you find him?" Sephiroth asked, and Angeal sighed.

"Strife came up to my apartment after he couldn't find a barracks monitor," Angeal explained. "He's seen the effects before, Captain Troger died right in front of him from something like this."

"The sample you brought back…Lazard gave it to the scientific department to analyze," Tseng said. "Someone, we don't know who, started to duplicate it to a non-lethal form. Reno brought it to my attention four months ago. He said one of our Turks, Rod, was shooting up something to feel like a SOLDIER. The enhancements and speed, it was a rush of a high, and Reno didn't like seeing what it did. The Turk died from an OD earlier today, it's our first casualty. Everyone else has been executives, and other higher ups wanting the rush of feeling like a SOLDIER."

"Where are they getting it?" Genesis asked.

Tseng shook his head. "Rod never said where he got it, and Reno can't find a supplier. He's been trying, getting cozy with known users but no one's spilled where they get it. And if they do, it's never a name, only a 'friend'."

"Let's take care of this," Sephiroth said, and the other three men nodded. "I'll autopsy the body. I want to know just what it does. And if we can find a way to test for it, I'm not going to tolerate drug use."

Genesis helped Sephiroth move the body to the morgue, and Tseng left with them. Angeal hated the morgue, so after an hour he went back to his apartment to handle the scared trooper. Hopefully Zack had managed to calm him down.

Angeal keyed in the codes to override the master lock, and opened the door. Zack was awake on the couch and looked up at him, but Cloud had fallen asleep, his head resting on a pillow in Zack's lap and a blanket tucked around him.

"What happened?" Zack asked quietly. Angeal sighed deeply as he took off his boots and sat on the chair nearby.

"There's a new drug everyone's trying," Angeal explained. "They're calling it 'Mooka', and it's a Mako substitute to give people the rush of a temporary Mako enhancement. It's addictive, and lethal in two doses."

"How come we haven't heard of it?" Zack asked, frowning.

Angeal shrugged. "It's been circling around the higher ups, but the Turks just got their first OD today."

"Cloud said the guy got it from a woman," Zack informed. "Is there going to be any awareness? It's just… around, killing people and no one knows about it."

"I don't know," Angeal said honestly, and Zack fell silent. Angeal watched him for a minute before speaking again. "You should get some sleep."

"I'm not sleepy," Zack said softly, looking down at Cloud. "It's…like I failed my job. I promised I'd protect him. What if he had taken the drug?"

"You can't watch his every move of every minute," Angeal said, but he was smiling softly. "Do what I do to you…let you out in the world and trust you'll make the good choices. You've made good ones, and some not so good, but you wouldn't make any if I hovered."

Zack nodded, and Angeal stood up. He gently lifted Cloud up enough so Zack could get up, before setting him back down and tucking the blanket closer to him.

**Mooka Madness **

Reno shrugged his jacket off and tossed it in the corner. It had been a tense few months in the Turks since someone died from Mooka, and Reno was glad for the end of summer. Cloud's birthday was soon, and he and Zack had plans for their young friend.

Reno opened a frozen dinner and stabbed a few holes in it before tossing it in the microwave, not caring about the instructions. For Zack's birthday, they had all gone out to a bar in the slums. Zack refused to expose their precious Spiky to another bar situation again, and Reno couldn't blame him. They spent most of the night defending Cloud's virtue, Reno even managed to get a few sneak attacks off before the night was over.

The microwave dinged, and Reno pulled out his scalding dinner, cursing as he burnt the tips of his fingers on the hot dish. There was a knock on the door, and Reno left the tray to open it, his finger in his mouth.

"You ok?" Zack asked, his bright eyes laughing as he regarded Reno.

"Fine, yo," Reno said, motioning for the brunet to enter. He shut the door after Zack stepped in and looked at his finger. It seemed ok, and he shook it off as he went back to the kitchen.

"I burn my hands a lot, especially when dueling against Genesis," Zack said, following and sitting on the counter.

"Fu-ah!" Reno cursed, burning his tongue on the hot fork he left in the dinner. "Damn it."

"Need anything?" Zack asked, and Reno cocked his eyebrow at him, setting his fork down.

"Like what? A Cure?" Reno asked, and he laughed. "No, we Turks don't get anything like that, it's saved for SOLDIERS. When we get hurt we have to suck it up and heal the old fashioned way, yo."

Zack just shrugged with a grin, so Reno picked his fork back up and shoved the rest of his dinner down, ignoring the burning sensation down his throat. He finished and tossed his fork in the sink before turning to Zack, who was still just sitting there watching.

"So what brings you over, yo?" Reno asked, leaning against the opposite counter facing Zack.

"Cloud's getting ready for a mission and Angeal's not home until tomorrow," Zack said, rubbing the back of his head. "So I figured I'd visit you."

"Great, third choice," Reno said sarcastically, but he laughed. He got out a bottle of alcohol and they each had some shots before Reno opened the card deck and dealt them both hands.

They laughed and joked, and spent the evening late playing cards and drinking. After the bottle was empty, Reno was dealing another hand when Zack surprised him.

"I was your friend to protect Cloud," Zack admitted, and Reno skipped a bit in his dealing. Reno thought a minute, before grinning at Zack.

"I thought you jumped at the chance to hang out with us fast, yo," Reno laughed. "I thought it was to get to hang out with my sexy self."

"It wasn't," Zack said, and Reno dropped the cards at his next words.

"It is now."

Reno just stared at Zack, who looked sheepish but was smiling softly. Reno picked up the cards again, tapping them on the table as he sorted them again.

"We…need some rules yo," Reno said quietly. "I mean, this is gonna…change shit, you know?"

Zack didn't answer, and Reno didn't stop him when he moved closer. The first kiss was gentle, but Reno could tell there was a power struggle before Zack eventually won and Reno was on his back on the couch, Zack on top.

Now, Reno has had his fair share of partners. Usually women, but he's enjoyed the company of a man before. Zack was strong, and Reno ran his hands over the younger teenager's muscles, feeling that quivering strength. Zack was _really_ strong, as Reno forced himself to remain relaxed as Zack's hands touched and prepared him.

Their first joining was sooner than comfortable, and Reno gave a pained gasp before kissing away Zack's frown. Reno wasn't entirely sure of Zack's experience, but he could tell the brunet was fairly new at the whole sex thing and felt a rush of smugness as he braced his hands on Zack's shoulders.

"Lie back," Reno gasped, and they switched positions. Reno knew what he liked, and straddled Zack's hips, rocking his own in pleasure.

Zack's hands grasped Reno's hips, and Reno groaned in the back of his throat as Zack's fingers dug into his flesh. He was gonna bruise, and Reno smacked away Zack's hands to turn around, rocking his hips back down as Zack's grip tightened. One hand left Reno's hip to grasp his shoulder, and Reno's position with his back to Zack's face allowed him to not hide the pained grimace at the strength of Zack's hands.

Despite the bruises, it was still really good, and Reno thoroughly enjoyed himself to completion. Zack had the stamina of a thoroughbred though, and by the time they were both exhausted Reno was nearly passing out. He hauled Zack up off the couch before they fell asleep and managed to get both of them into the bed.

Zack was asleep and Reno was soon following, his body beginning to ache from the deep bruises.

**Mooka Madness**

Angeal was sitting across from Sephiroth, just finishing his report on his mission. He was stalling for time, he knew Zack was lonely with Cloud gone as well, and Angeal was hoping to put off the exuberant reunion for a while yet.

A knock on the door was the only warning before it opened. Sephiroth frowned and moved to stand up, but he stopped as he saw Tseng enter, Reno practically dragged behind him. Tseng shut the door, and Angeal could tell something was wrong.

"We have a situation," Tseng began. He looked at Reno, and Angeal could tell he was embarrassed about something. "Show them."

"It's…no big deal, yo," Reno muttered, but a scathing look from Tseng and the red-head had taken off his jacket and tossed it on a chair. He unbuttoned his dress shirt, and as he pulled it off his shoulders, Angeal's eyes widened. The bruises were dark and deep, and fairly fresh. Reno looked uncomfortable, but he tossed his shirt onto his jacket and undid the fly on his pants. He dropped them low enough to show off his silk boxers, and even those he gingerly slid down enough to show the deep bruises on his hips and waist.

"Are those…handprints?" Sephiroth asked, his eyes sharp as ever.

Reno pulled his pants back up and buttoned the fly. "Y-yeah…"

"Who did that to you?" Angeal asked, and Reno was almost as red as his hair. "…F-fair."

"_Zack_ did that!?" Angeal blurted, and Reno just grabbed his shirt and put it back on. The red-head didn't bother tucking in the ends, and he just stood there.

"We just…it's no big deal, yo," Reno said. "Zack's just…stronger than any partner I've had before. I don't think he knows his own strength, and it just left bruises. The bigger issue is what happened this morning."

Angeal was almost afraid of what happened, and Reno shifted a little.

"I went to the medic ward to get the bruise cream with Mako in it, to heal faster," Reno began. "The nurse had to check the bruises to deem the medicine necessary, and she just looked at me before giving me this…" Reno reached into his jackets pocket and pulled out a bottle. He tossed it to Angeal, who caught it and looked at the blue crystals before handing the bottle to Sephiroth.

"It's Mooka," Reno said, and Sephiroth and Angeal both looked at him sharply. "She told me…and I'm quoting here yo…that if I was going to fuck a SOLDIER I'd need the boost to handle it. The crystal form dissolves under the tongue, and it gives a fast rush that lasts long enough to…do whatever…and not end up hurt. I went down to the slums, the hookers are taking it now to be able to handle the stronger military men that frequent some of the clubs."

"Which means it's spreading out of the compound and sector," Sephiroth said, and he was frowning deeply. "This is the first crystal form I've seen."

"Reno, you're dismissed," Tseng said, and Reno just grabbed his jacket and practically ran from the room. Angeal watched the Turk pinch his hand, putting pressure between his thumb and forefinger and the pad of his hand.

"I…didn't know they were attracted," Angeal said, and Tseng released his hand after a moment and sat in the chair next to Angeal, and they both sat across from Sephiroth.

"Reno's old enough, most slum kids don't know their age, but we guess he's only two or so years older than Fair," Tseng said. "He knows his job, and he knows the dangers of attachments. My concern is when he came to me today with the Mooka. He actually seemed…hesitant to give it up. As if it would help in their relationship. Reno may be a Turk, but he has his own set of morals. He doesn't do drugs, and since one of our own already died from this drug, he's not likely to try it. But just the thought…of being strong enough to handle anything…it's a tempting idea."

"Which sector slum did he go to?" Sephiroth asked, frowning as he looked at the crystals.

"I presume Sector Six," Tseng said. "I didn't ask, but I know he's got contacts down in the Honeybee Inn."

"Genesis is in Sector Six," Sephiroth said, and Angeal nodded slowly.

"He took a few members of the Omegas to investigate some monster attacks," Angeal said. "We should ask if he saw anything when he gets back."

"When is he due back?" Tseng asked.

"Tonight," Angeal said, Sephiroth's nod confirming.

Angeal sat back, looking at the crystals in Sephiroth's hand. The progression from a liquid was dangerous. People who were deterred by needles may be more willing to try a crystal dissolvent, and it was spreading out of Shinra. Angeal couldn't help but feel partly responsible…after all, he was the one who brought the vial back to Shinra in the first place.

**Mooka Madness**

Genesis loved missions, he reveled in the spotlight and enjoyed being in charge. This mission, however, was a bore and his temper was rising. Why would the director of SOLDIER send him out on such a trivial matter such as monster attacks?

"S-sir?" a trooper spoke up, and Genesis was brought out of his scowling thoughts.

"What?" he snapped.

"S-some of t-the m-men found s-something…" the trooper stuttered, and Genesis rolled his eyes before following the grunt.

They approached a group of three troopers, and one had his helmet off. Genesis recognized him as Cloud Strife. He hadn't had much contact with the kid, but knew Angeal had through Zack.

"Sir," Strife greeted, standing up. "This…this attack seems odd."

Genesis stepped forward and knelt next to the body of an older man, his gray hair missing in large patches. "What do you observe?" Genesis asked.

"The state of partial undress suggests he was with a partner," Strife said, and he pointed off to the side. About ten feet against the wall of the building was a pile of personal affects. "His wallet is over there, void of cash but identification cards remain, and a bank receipt of 5000Gil suggests that partner was a prostitute. The remains of a shoe suggest a woman, due to the height of the heel left behind."

Genesis nodded, inwardly impressed with the kid. "What else?"

"…Where's the prostitute?" Strife muttered, looking around. "A monster attacks and only the man gets killed? I don't know many hookers, but I do know they can't run fast in six-inch heels. And it appears they were busy, so how did she escape the attack?"

Genesis listened to Strife before examining the body again. The man had long, shredded flesh wounds all over his body, as if the monster tore claws down the entire length. There was missing hair, looking like it was just yanked out from the scalp. Genesis used one hand to copy the trail down the face, and he was highly disturbed at how closely his hand matched the marks down the man's face.

Strife had wandered around, circling the perimeter as if he was looking for something. Genesis frowned, he was in charge and wasn't about to let a trooper do whatever he felt like.

"Search the area for the woman," Genesis ordered, and the three other troopers instantly dissipated, all heading in different directions to look.

Genesis left the body and walked over to Strife, who was looking at something on the ground. He stood by his side, following his eyes down to see a blue crystal powder on the ground. Strife knelt to touch it, picking up a bigger crystal to look at it.

"Some sort of drug?" Strife asked, holding it in his palm towards Genesis. Genesis took Strife's wrist in his hand to lift the crystal closer to his eyes. He could almost feel the heat radiate off Strife, but he was focused on the substance. The rampant drug was currently Mooka, but he's never seen a crystal variation before…

"Moo…"

Genesis and Strife both looked up at the moan, and Strife's hand closed around the crystal as Genesis swept his arm and pushed the trooper behind him. The woman crawling out of the shadows nearby was horrifically deformed. Her hair was missing, there were bloody scratches up and down her arms, and her face was pockmarked with bloody craters. She was dressed as a prostitute, and one of the six-inch heels strapped to her feet was broken.

Genesis drew his sword, eyeing the woman cautiously. She was wide-eyed as she stared at them, and moaned again.

"Moo…"

"…Mooka?" Genesis asked out loud, and the woman shrieked and lunged forward.

Genesis retaliated with a fireball to her body. She took the hit directly, but wasn't fazed as she lunged again. Genesis cursed and with his left arm grabbed Strife's waist and leapt backwards to gain distance from the crazed woman. She was fast as she moved towards them. Genesis back-stepped and brought the blunt edge of his sword into the woman's torso.

The strike knocked her over, but she was soon on her knees, wailing and clawing at her own body as she dragged closer. "Moo!"

"Should I give it to her?" Strife asked, but Genesis shook his head as they stepped away from the woman desperately trying to get close.

The other troopers had heard the commotion and they all had rifles aimed at the woman, waiting for the command to fire. Genesis and Strife backed up towards them, but the woman suddenly changed directions and threw herself on the corpse, digging into his flesh with her bare hands. Genesis heard Strife make a choked gag as the woman began eating the body, but he stayed focused. The woman was after something…

With a shriek, the woman was up and charging at them. Genesis barely heard himself give the order to fire before he had brought his sword up and launched another fireball into her body. Strife left his side to run behind the other troopers, and Genesis briefly wondered where his rifle was before the woman attacked again. She wasn't interested in Genesis, and Genesis charged up a Fire 3 spell and knocked her off her beeline towards Strife.

"Don't let her have it!" Genesis ordered, and Strife nodded, holding his fist to his chest that contained the crystallized Mooka. His teammates unloaded their ammunition into the crazed woman, but it seemed mostly harmless to her. Any ordinary person would have been torn apart, and Genesis used the blunt end of his sword to again knock her off her determined path towards Strife.

The kid was brave, Genesis had to give him credit, but the woman was persistent and Genesis could see the flicker of fear as she swung wildly, knocking one of the troopers off to the side. The trooper shouted at the strength of the blow, and he soared over ten feet away. A second trooper met the same fate, and Genesis cast a Fire 3 and saved the last trooper from the same fate. Why couldn't they see her coming?

The third trooper couldn't fend off the woman, and Genesis leapt forward as he fell and was just fast enough to beat the woman to Strife. Genesis held him close with one arm and with a few quick bursts of speed cleared the nearby building, landing on the roof.

The woman continued to shriek and wail, clawing at her own body as she also clawed the sides of the building below them. Genesis released Strife, and watched as he stepped back from the edge quickly, collapsing against a large duct and tucking his knees up to his chest. Genesis turned back to the woman, and watched as she managed to make jumps and crawl up the wall like no mortal could.

Genesis shot a Fire 3 spell and knocked her back to the ground before readying his sword and pushing off the ledge of the roof. He impaled her fully with his sword, and as he withdrew his blade launched fireballs that encased the body and exploded. He stepped back, watching the remains burn before sheathing his sword and making the jumps back to the roof.

Strife was still sitting, and his eyes were closed as he tried to control his breathing. Genesis could see the fine beads of sweat, and swore he heard the fast pounding of the blond's heart as he knelt next to him. Strife's blue eyes opened, and he gave a shaky breath.

"I couldn't see her coming," Strife admitted, and Genesis slowly nodded. "She was fast…it was like trying to dodge Zack."

Genesis gently took Strife's hand and opened it, feeling the shakes and tremors that Strife valiantly tried to suppress. He took the crystallized Mooka and put it in his own pocket, and firmly held Strife's hand as he stood, pulling the kid to his feet in the process.

Genesis hesitantly released Strife, but the kid stayed on his feet. He reached into another pocket, pulling out his phone and dialing.

"Sephiroth, it's me," Genesis said. "I need a cleanup team…five casualties, including three troopers…you may want to see to this personally…what?" Genesis blinked, before his eyes flickered to Strife. "He's all right…such confidence you have in me." With an annoyed snort Genesis hung up the phone, shoving it back into his pocket before stepping away to the edge of the roof.

"…Sir?" Strife spoke up, and Genesis glanced back at him. He held out his hand, and Strife didn't hesitate to step forward and take it.

The kid was small, and Genesis found him light and easy to carry as they landed back on the ground. Genesis found himself looking down at the soft blond spikes as they waited for the back up team. Strife was young, but he instilled a protective streak in Genesis that the temperamental red-head hadn't felt in a long time. Sitting on a bench with him nearly tucked into his side, Genesis couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret that he hadn't gotten to know the trooper sooner.

**Mooka Madness**

Cloud closed his textbook and stretched. It was beginning to darken into the evening, and he finished his weekend homework early to go out with Zack and Reno. They had a special plan for his birthday tonight, and Cloud was excited. He already had a gift from Genesis, and Cloud blushed a little at the thought of the older man. The gift was a small tag with a verse of _LOVELESS_ engraved in little letters. Cloud wore it on the chain with his dog-tag, and he hadn't even told Zack and Reno of it yet.

He definitely did not tell them about the toe-curling kiss that came with the gift.

Genesis had put in the effort to see more of Cloud, and Cloud jumped at every chance. Reno and Zack were so obviously sexually attracted to each other, that Cloud could hardly stand the tension when they were all together. Genesis didn't radiate such wanton sexuality, but that kiss…it was so perfect. Cloud blushed as he put away his homework and books, remembering the way his back bent in that low dip, the way Genesis' hair touched his face before that perfect mouth covered his own and that tongue…

Cloud shook his head out of his train of thoughts as the door opened. He glanced over to the door. The barracks were an open door policy so it was always a safe bet to check who was coming in. Everyone was already out for the evening, and Cloud saw a flash of red before he realized it was the barracks monitor, and the man was covered in blood.

"What happened?" Cloud asked, stepping forward but the man held out his hand as he leaned against the closed door.

"Strife…You have to get out," the monitor said, groaning as he held a wound on his body. "There's a crazy man…he attacked me. He tried to _eat _me…You gotta get out."

There was a pound on the door, and scraping as someone's hands scrabbled against the closed door. Cloud's eyes widened and he grabbed his civilian shoes, not bothering with the laces as he shoved his feet into the running shoes. The monitor was still bracing against the door, and Cloud went to the window on the opposite side of the room.

The outside looked clear, and Cloud carefully opened the window and boosted himself up. There was a crash and a yell, and Cloud looked back over his shoulder to see the monitor get grabbed by a deformed man. There was blood all over, and Cloud made eye contact before turning and jumping out the window.

The pounding footsteps that followed were not reassuring, and Cloud hit the ground and bolted straight for the SOLDIERS building. He heard a sound and looked back to see the man sprinting after him, and Cloud let out a terrified yell as the man caught up, eyes wide and blood dripping. Cloud tripped and landed on his back, ready to scream again when the man was blown off his path.

The loud_ bang_ from a shotgun was still ringing in Cloud's ears as he scrambled back to his feet. There was another shot, and the man was blown clear off his feet and landed in a heap on the ground.

"_Get inside_!" Tseng yelled, and Cloud felt hands grab him and pull him along into the building. His heart was pounding, and he looked up at the tall bald Turk that was dragging him along the corridor and up the stairs. The dark sunglasses were a little imposing, and perhaps not necessary at night, but Cloud didn't say anything as they ran up the flights of stairs.

Sephiroth's rooms were on the top floor, and Cloud was surprised to see the door wide open and Reno coming out. The red-head just looked at him before pulling Cloud into a hug, and Cloud returned it before he was pushed inside the room.

"Stay here," Reno ordered, and Cloud nodded. Reno left with the bald Turk, and Cloud let out a shaky breath before stepping into the room further. There were yells and gunshots, and Cloud tucked himself into the corner behind the edge of the sofa. His heart was pounding, but soon the gunshots subsided and he heard the pounding of footsteps as everyone returned to Sephiroth's room.

Cloud was relieved to see Reno come back with the bald Turk, and came out of his hiding spot. Tseng was there as well, but he was looking so grimfaced that Cloud hardly recognized him. Angeal and Zack came into the room, and Sephiroth followed, closing the door behind him. All the men were covered in injuries and blood.

"The Mooka drug has gone viral," Tseng said, and he was busy reloading his weapon alongside Reno and the bald Turk. "It's infecting the minds of the users, and those who have had consistent use are nothing more than rampaging monsters. Shinra Tower is reporting cases of these Mooka monsters on nearly every floor. It's so severe that the Mooka monsters are cannibalizing people and monsters alike looking for the drug."

"What do you need us to do?" Angeal asked, and Tseng just shook his head.

"I have no idea," Tseng said, and Cloud had never seen the Turk so frazzled. He was always the picture of composure. "Rhapsodos was first to the President, and by sheer fortuity the Vice President is away on business. I'm going to get into the Tower and either assist in the blockade for the President or evacuate."

"I can prep a chopper, yo," Reno said, but Tseng shook his head.

"You and Rude are to remain here," Tseng ordered. "I need your skills to keep the building secure. Think of it as a new partner training exercise."

Reno was frowning as Tseng finished getting ready. Cloud looked from him to the others, biting his lip as he waited for the orders that Sephiroth didn't seem to know how to assign.

"…Zack, I want you to go with Tseng," Sephiroth finally ordered. "Mooka monsters are enhanced nearly to the degree of a Third Class SOLDIER, so stay on your top form. Angeal and I are going to head into the compound and back towards the Turk building and the residential complexes beyond. We're going to start clearing the Mooka monsters, and send those who are clean here."

"Yes sir," Zack and Angeal said in unison, and Cloud bit his lip.

"What about me, sir?" Cloud spoke up, and he had to restrain himself from fidgeting as Sephiroth regarded him.

"…You are to remain inside," Sephiroth ordered, and Cloud frowned. He may not have been a SOLDIER, but he was still military trained. Hs look didn't go unnoticed, and Sephiroth must have felt the need to explain because he spoke again.

"We know SOLDIERS are immune to Mooka," Sephiroth explained. "It's thought that because of the Mako in our systems, we have no response to the synthetic drug. Tseng, Reno, and Rude got Mako boosters as a preventative measure. If the Mooka is viral like it appears, those without Mako injections may turn into a monster."

"I can't have a Mako injection?" Cloud asked, but he was more understanding now to the situation.

"They're in the Shinra Tower Laboratories," Angeal spoke up. "Once Tseng and Zack find the President, Genesis will be ordered to find a supply of Mako injections to give to the troopers and Turks still alive. It may be too late for most of the executives, they're already addicted users."

"What if the building is compromised, yo?" Reno asked, and Cloud felt a shiver down his spine. Those monsters were everywhere, and could get anywhere they wanted.

"There's a bunker underneath the basement," Sephiroth answered. "It's an emergency hideaway, but I was never one to sit and hide, waiting for the end. I built a tunnel hidden on the far side. It leads in between the plate and slum level and out of Midgar. If there is even a thought that there is a Mooka monster in here, you are to get out and run."

"Are there any safe houses?" Reno asked.

"Head to Healin," Angeal answered. "The town is small, but it's closer than Kalm."

"Let's move out," Tseng ordered, and the older men all nodded and stepped out. Zack and Reno both hesitated at the door, and Cloud tilted his head before Zack spoke.

"This isn't how we wanted your birthday to go," Zack said, and he wasn't smiling a bit. "Your present is in the spare bedroom, go ahead and open it, you might need it now."

Cloud nodded, and Reno ruffled his blond spikes. "Rude and I will be securing the exits. Stay up here, and be careful, yo."

"You too," Cloud said, and watched his best friends leave. The door shut and Cloud turned, going into the spare bedroom.

There was a chest on the floor at the end of the bed, and Cloud knelt down as he opened it. It was filled with a brand new set of armor. Cloud put everything on and felt better with the weight of the armor on his body. Hopefully he wouldn't have to need it.

**Mooka Madness**

Genesis was pissed off beyond all comprehension. Mooka monsters were on the loose in Shinra Tower, and all that the President wanted to do was sit at his desk and watch from the windows as explosions went off in the compound and sector complexes.

Genesis was barricaded in the Presidential Office with the Mayor as well as some senior officials. His sharp eyes could see the familiar attacks of Sephiroth and Angeal, and his hands twitched with the desire to join them. Unfortunately, he was stuck watching.

"Yes…Yes!" the President shouted, watching as an explosion erupted down the streets between buildings. "This is so exciting!"

Genesis scoffed, turning from the window to pace some more.

"That's it!" the President shouted. "I'll activate the Purge!"

"The _what_!?" Genesis demanded, turning towards the President. "You can't be serious!"

President Shinra just rolled around in his chair, turning to the computer. "It'll make this all better. Everyone infected will be gone, and those only with Mako will survive. It's only fitting, after all."

"You have to warn people," Genesis said, reaching into his pocket and opening it.

Sephiroth answered after the first ring, and Genesis glanced at the President out of the corner of his eye as he spoke.

"Sephiroth, President Shinra is authorizing the Purge," Genesis explained. "You have got to get people evacuated."

"Genesis…We've already sent people who are clean to the SOLDIERS building," Sephiroth said, his voice urgent. "Call my room, Reno and Rude are there, they can evacuate to the basement. And Genesis…"

"Yes?" Genesis prompted, his heart skipping a beat.

"Strife is there too," Sephiroth finished, and Genesis cursed as the line went dead. He quickly dialed Sephiroth's personal number, and couldn't help but notice how the President was getting more excited as he worked on his computer.

"H-hello?" a familiar voice answered, and Genesis turned his attention to the call.

"Cloud, you have got to find Reno and Rude and get to the basement," Genesis ordered. "There's going to be a Purge, the entire compound will be leveled."

"A…Purge…?" Cloud repeated. "Yes sir, we'll be evacuating to the basement now. Genesis…I want to tell you that…"

The phone clicked off, and Genesis glanced out the window, watching the power cut out across the entire Sector. He closed his phone and went to the window, watching the end of the Sector burst into flames.

"This is your military down there!" Genesis roared, turning to the President. "The men and women who have sworn to your very name are there!"

"More will swear to my name now that such a disease has infected Midgar," the President said, turning from his computer to watch the explosions draw faster and closer.

Genesis was disgusted, with the President for doing such an action, and at himself for not being able to stop it. He held his breath, hoping with his entire soul that perhaps the SOLDIERS building would be spared.

As the Purge bombings erupted the Turk building and simultaneously took out the troopers and SOLDIERS, Genesis felt a burn of hatred and his mind went as red as the flames below.

**Mooka Madness**

Reno came to with a start, and blinked in the darkness as he groaned and tried to get up.

"W-what happened?" Cloud asked, coughing in the dust and rubble of what was the entrance to the basement's underground bunker. "Was that the Purge?"

Reno pulled out a light from his pocket, and heard Rude behind getting to his feet. His body hurt from the blast, but they were ok. Rude took the brunt of the explosion behind them, and the man was a fortress as he casually brushed debris from his suit.

"President Shinra issued it," Reno explained. "A Purge is the complete destruction of the entire Sector and Shinra Compound. All that remains is the Tower, yo."

There were a few survivors milling about, and Reno walked past them to the tunnel Sephiroth had mentioned. It was hidden behind a shelf, and Reno pushed the shelf aside and shone his light down inside.

"Are we getting out?" Cloud asked, and Reno turned back, tossing his shoulder in a shrug.

"What do you think, yo?" Reno asked, looking at Rude.

The taller man tilted his head back at the people, and Reno just frowned.

"The President gave up on all of us," Reno said. "I'm getting out, heading to Healin. You can babysit if you want, don't let the Mooka monster bite you in the ass, yo."

Reno stepped into the tunnel, and let out an inaudible sigh of relief as Cloud followed. They were only a few paces when Rude caught up, and Reno just nodded his head as they walked down the passageway.

It was nearly an hour later before they managed to reach the exit, and it was dark in the wooded area. Reno looked at the inconspicuous drain pipe they came out of, but tilted his head as he looked at the keypad in plain view. He pressed a few buttons, but nothing happened.

"We should…block the exit, yo," Reno suggested. "In case any monsters get loose."

"What if people followed us?" Cloud asked, and Reno just shook his head.

"It'll be for the best interest of the world if this virus is contained," Reno said, and Rude nodded in agreement. The bald man silently pulled out some explosives from his jacket pocket and set them strategically in place. Reno led Cloud off into the woods, and they walked for a few minutes before the loud _BOOM_ signaled Rude was done.

The taller man caught up to them, and Reno didn't speak as they walked, instead he observed his new partner. Although, technically Reno was Rude's new partner, since Reno was Rod's replacement. Reno didn't do well with partners, but Rude and he worked well together. Too bad the bald man was zero conversation.

The night had grown darker as hours passed while they walked, and Reno caught Cloud's hand as the younger blonde tripped.

"Reno…I don't feel well…"

Reno glanced back at Cloud, and did a double take as he saw how pale Cloud had become. The sweat on his forehead kept his bangs plastered to his face, his breathing was labored and shallow. Reno stopped and lifted Cloud's chin slightly, peeling back an eye to reveal a dilated pupil and the blue iris foggy.

"Cloud…" Reno whispered, and the blond blinked and sighed.

"I'm sick, aren't I?" Cloud asked, and Reno just nodded. His chest contracted in pain at the sight of Cloud…this was his friend, his buddy. Reno was supposed to look after him…

"A Mako booster should help," Rude spoke up. "But there's no Mako in Healin, and Midgar is in ruins."

"You have to leave me," Cloud said, and Reno watched him sink to the ground.

"No, Cloud, I'm not leaving you, yo," Reno said, shaking his head. "If you do become…viral…we'll never find you out here."

Cloud didn't say anything, and neither did Reno as the red-head dropped to his knees and held Cloud in an embrace. His chest heaved as one hand pulled out his gun, and couldn't bite back the pain and tears as he kissed Cloud's soft spiky hair and pressed the weapon in a spot that Reno knew would cause the least pain and quickest death.

**Mooka Madness**

Zack stumbled slightly before catching himself and sliced his sword through another monster. Tseng was behind him, but let Zack do most of the brunt work to save ammunition. They were making their way up to the Presidential office when the entire floor erupted in flames.

Monsters shrieked and died, and Zack saw Genesis' long coat swirl before the man disappeared. Fires burned the rest of the way up, and Zack was stunned at the amount of carnage left in the wake.

The President was pacing behind his desk when they arrived, and he pointed a fat finger at Tseng. "Get that _pyromaniac_ under control!"

"I have no control over what Rhapsodos is doing," Tseng said. "What happened?"

"He went ballistic after the Purge!" President Shinra exclaimed, waving his arms in the air. "Exploded in a ball of fire and torched the entire place!"

Zack met Tseng's eyes and lifted one shoulder in an apology. "I have to find him," Zack said, but Tseng shook his head.

"We'll barricade here, but you need orders," Tseng said. "Rhapsodos was going to get the order to find Mako boosters in the labs. That's your mission now, and your priority. We have to get the troops those boosters so they can join the fight."

"But Genesis…" Zack protested, and Tseng held up his hand to silence him.

"He may be too far gone to reason with," Tseng said. "Get the boosters and get our troops fighting, then go after Rhapsodos."

Zack just nodded, and left the office and began making his way down the floors towards the labs. People and monsters alike were screaming as fires were slowly put out by the sprinkler system. Zack managed to avoid any big fights, and when he reached the labs he was surprised at the relative calm everyone had.

"Ah, you must be here for a tour," a scientist said, and Zack shook his head.

"Where's Hojo?" Zack asked, looking around.

"The Doctor is in the other room," someone spoke up. Zack went into the room the young man had motioned to, and his eyes widened in surprise at the sight.

Hojo was blasting a Mooka monster with a modified fire extinguisher, and Zack approached cautiously as Hojo stopped the spray and turned to another scientist.

"Make a note, the effects work best under cold conditions," Hojo said, and looked up at Zack. "Ah good, here for the cure, I take it? It's ready now."

"The…cure…?" Zack asked, surprised. "I'm here for the prevention, for Mako boosters."

"Might as well just cure the damn things," Hojo said, motioning to the monster, and Zack watched as it jerked around on the floor before stilling. The groans were those not of a monster, but of a man in pain.

"The virus cure was difficult for the body to absorb," Hojo said, walking to where several people worked with fire extinguishers. "Fortunately we were able to add it to the extinguisher's typical formula and blast the monsters, cooling down their systems and allowing the antidote to take affect instead of being repelled. These are ready, feel free to take them and blast everyone you see."

"Does it take much?" Zack asked, lifting an extinguisher in each hand.

"Not at all, just a squirt should do it," Hojo explained. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have further research to conduct."

Zack took his leave of the labs and began working his way through Shinra Tower, blasting the monsters he found and leaving the bodies to the effects of the antidote. He knew Genesis was working his way down, and it wasn't long before they met up with each other on a floor.

"Genesis…you have to calm down," Zack said, approaching his friend cautiously.

"There's no use," Genesis said, and Zack could see the anger and torment in his eyes. "I'll burn this tower to the ground and make Shinra pay for what he did to the sector, to his troops who swore their allegiance…and to Cloud."

"You don't know he's dead," Zack tried to reason, but he wasn't sure which of them he was trying to convince. A Purge was a complete destruction of the sector…only those with Mako would have survived.

Genesis did respond, instead he shot a fireball at a moving body and blasted the man apart. "You better get out of my way Fair," Genesis ordered.

"Sorry Genesis," Zack said, dropping the extinguishers and drawing his sword. "I can't let you kill people when I have a cure within my reach."

"Then tell Cloud in the Lifestream you didn't have the gall to avenge him," Genesis said, and drew his Rapier against Zack.

**Mooka Madness**

Angeal and Sephiroth ran into Shinra Tower, making their way up the floors when they found Zack and Genesis in the aftermath of their battle. Zack was kneeling and panting heavily, but Genesis was on the floor defeated. Angeal went to help Zack, but the younger man just brushed away his hand and stood on his own. He looked troubled and as if he himself had lost.

Sephiroth knelt by Genesis, and gave his friend a Cure spell before helping him sit up. Genesis didn't meet those piercing jade eyes, instead just stared at the floor blankly.

"…Strife means a lot to Zack too," Sephiroth said, knowing his friend's deepest and most troubling thoughts. The thoughts the red-head kept so hard from Angeal. "As does Reno, I'm sure. Let's look for them in Healin."

Genesis just nodded, his eyes averted, and took Sephiroth's hand up. Angeal wanted to leave with them, but Zack needed his immediate attention. The younger brunette had sheathed his sword and Angeal put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, Zack," Angeal said, meeting Zack's eyes. "You fought well today, and defended those who needed you. I'm going to put in the recommendation to promote you to 2nd Class."

"I need to continue curing those infected," Zack said. "Tseng's orders, Hojo created the cure."

Angeal nodded, and picked up the second fire extinguisher. "I'll help you," he offered, and followed Zack's lead through the tower.

The younger man was quiet and Angeal could tell he was upset. They worked quickly, and eventually the floors Genesis had not incinerated were calming down from the commotion. They met up with Tseng, who had managed to gather the clean executives and officials and kept them contained in the President's office. There were several scientists as well, and Angeal eyed Hojo as Tseng came up to them.

"President Shinra is crediting the cure and restoration of civilized life to Hojo," Tseng said, and just shook his head in exasperation. "Perhaps I may regret telling you this later, but Hojo was the one Director Lazard gave the initial drug to in the first place. President Shinra is claiming everything is balanced out again."

"Where is the Director?" Angeal asked. "I'd like to promote Zack."

"He is with the Vice President," Tseng said. "They're due back within a week."

"There were no survivors after the Purge," Angeal explained. "Sephiroth and I made our way back here and found no living bodies."

"Where is Sephiroth?" Tseng asked.

"He and Genesis went to search for Reno, Rude, and Cloud," Angeal answered. Throughout his and Tseng's conversation Angeal noticed Zack had been exceptionally quiet until the mention of his friends.

"I have to go looking for them," Zack said, but Angeal held is shoulder and shook his head.

"Let Sephiroth and Genesis take care of that," Angeal said. "I need you here to help me."

"But…" Zack protested, frowning deeply. "…Yes, sir..."

"Genesis needs time to come to terms with what he's done," Angeal said. "Give them some time."

Angeal patted Zack's shoulder, and let the teenager brood. It had been a rough evening for all of them.

**Mooka Madness**

Most of the compound had been destroyed, but the chocobo stables in another sector were unharmed in the Purge. Sephiroth and Genesis rode out to Healin on the bright yellow birds, and Sephiroth could tell his friend was severely depressed. Genesis had lost himself in his anger, and many people died in the wake of his anger.

Emotions were rare for Sephiroth. He could predict the reactions of his opponents using their emotional reactions, and always masked his to give himself an advantage on the battlefield. Genesis was always temperamental, but Sephiroth would be able to predict any outbursts by the tension in the air and the expression on his face.

The blank look Genesis had now disturbed Sephiroth. He had never seen it on the red-head before, and wondered if that's how he himself looked before he cut down his enemy.

They approached Healin and Sephiroth slowed his bird to a walk, not wanting to charge into the town in the dead of night and cause a scene. They barely made it past the gates when Sephiroth spotted the Turk Rude approaching them.

"Where's Reno and Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, but Rude just shook his head.

"There was…a complication," Rude answered.

"Where are they?" Genesis asked, dismounting his bird.

"Reno's inside," Rude answered. "Cloud…well you'd best come inside."

Sephiroth dismounted his bird and followed Rude into the hotel and into the back kitchen. No one was there, which Sephiroth found odd, until he spotted Reno sitting on a barrel.

The Turk was looking downcast, and he looked up at their entrance and Sephiroth could see the guilt and remorse on his face.

"Where's Cloud?" Genesis asked, and Sephiroth could hear the strain in his voice.

"He caught the virus and started changing not far from town," Reno explained, and his voice cracked slightly. "We don't have any Mako here, and we couldn't risk the spread of the virus. He knew that, and I…I pulled the trigger."

"He's dead?" Genesis asked, and sat down hard in a chair.

"I thought he was, we left him by a marker so we could come back for his body," Reno continued. "But not long after getting here, there was a commotion, somehow he had managed to survive and followed us into town. Rude and I caught him, but he's fully viral and a rampant monster."

"Where is he?" Sephiroth asked.

Reno pointed to the floor, and Sephiroth noticed the trap door underneath the barrel Reno sat on. "He's down there, contained but rampaging. You wouldn't happen to have a Mako booster?"

"I have one," Genesis said. "I'll give it to him."

Sephiroth opened the trap door once Reno had moved and followed Genesis into the cellar. The door was shut and Sephiroth turned on the single light, illuminating only the center of the room. Dark shadows crept along the edges and corners of the room eerily, and Sephiroth didn't see Cloud anywhere.

A quick movement caught his eye, but Sephiroth stilled his hand and instead let Genesis catch the rampaging youth and jabbed him with the needle, giving him the Mako booster. It was almost instant that the body went from attacking to writhing, and Sephiroth wondered briefly if the teenager's young body could handle such a transformation.

The writhing soon stopped, and once Sephiroth deemed that Genesis would be able to handle Cloud, the General left the cellar and found Rude and Reno nearby.

Reno was still looking distraught, and Sephiroth frowned as he regarded the Turk. The red-head looked up and Sephiroth could see every emotion on his face.

"Do you think Cloud will hate me?" Reno asked, and Sephiroth was a little taken aback by the question.

"I do not believe so," Sephiroth answered cautiously. "You are his friend, and he trusted you enough to be safe when he was to die."

Reno didn't look comforted, and Sephiroth internally sighed. Dealing with emotions was hard work.

**Mooka Madness**

Genesis sat on the cold concrete cellar floor, holding Cloud in his arms. The teenager was injured and bloody, but the Mako coursing through his body was rapidly destroying the virus and repairing any wounds. Cloud was shirtless and his pants torn, but Genesis could feel the heat that was radiating at first start to cool down to a normal body temperature.

The light was dim, but Genesis' eyes had adjusted after a quarter of an hour and he could make out smears on the walls. It looked like blood, and squinting a little Genesis could make out words.

"No hate…Joy…Beloved…Hero…Healer…" Genesis read aloud, and looked down at Cloud. He noticed the tags around his neck, and recognized the gift that he gave just last morning. Act II of LOVELESS was engraved, and Genesis realized Cloud had somehow managed to replicate the verse even while being a viral monster.

"Despite it all, I know you're in there," Genesis said, holding Cloud tighter. "You're strong and brave, and I am honored to be here for you."

After an hour Genesis' hold on Cloud loosened, and the teenager was slowly sitting up on his own. Genesis kept a reassuring hand on him, but Cloud wasn't going too far.

"…Genesis?"

"I'm here," Genesis replied, and was nearly knocked onto his back as Cloud flung his arms around his neck in an embrace. "You're going to be fine," Genesis whispered, running his hands over Cloud's back and shoulders.

"I feel sick," Cloud admitted. "But it's getting better. I remember Reno shot me in the woods, where is he?"

"Upstairs," Genesis said. "But you need to wait, the Mako is still repairing the damage from the virus, and your wounds are still open."

Cloud settled back into Genesis' arms, but this time he was conscious and they managed to keep a small conversation going. Another hour crept by, but Genesis wasn't concerned with time. He continually checked Cloud's wounds, and once he deemed them closed he finally let out a sigh of relief. The gunshot would have killed any normal man or monster, but Cloud was exceptional.

Genesis made to get up, but Cloud just shook his head, so they continued to sit on the cold floor. Genesis leant against the wall and Cloud was curled in his lap, and they just let themselves feel each other living.

It was a good feeling.

**Mooka Madness**

Zack followed Angeal around like a zombie, obediently following orders and kept himself quiet. He couldn't get his thoughts straight, and once Angeal allowed him to go rest, Zack went and found a quiet spot to think.

Were his friends still alive? That thought plagued Zack's mind the most, especially when it came to Reno. Zack liked him a lot, and yes they were technically together, but when it came down to thinking he was gone, Zack didn't snap like Genesis did over Cloud.

Zack adored all his friends, and he couldn't place them on a list starting at number one of whom he would miss the most if they were dead. He would just miss them all in different ways. He couldn't honestly say he would miss Reno the most, but he would definitely miss his differently than how he would miss Cloud.

This must have been the warning label that came with relationships. Zack just brooded in his quiet spot, and only realized how long he had been sitting there when Angeal approached him and squatted down in front of him.

"I contacted Sephiroth," Angeal informed, and Zack looked up hopefully. "They found Reno and Cloud, as well as Rude. They're all alive and are doing well, Cloud was injured but his Mako booster is healing him."

Zack let out a sigh of relief, and finally allowed a smile that Angeal returned. "If you promise to rest, we can get a helicopter out to Healin and get them."

"I promise," Zack said, standing up. His body cracked and Zack finally realized how exhausted he was. He followed Angeal down to the helicopter pad and once he was strapped in Zack closed his eyes and allowed his body to rest.

**Mooka Madness**

Sephiroth went down into the basement, clearing his throat to gain the two people's attention. Genesis and Cloud pulled apart, the blond blushing bright red and Genesis looked a little disgruntled at the interruption, but Sephiroth knew his friend was finally feeling better.

"Tseng is on the way with Angeal and Zack," Sephiroth informed. "We are to leave the chocobos here at the inn and take the transport with them."

Genesis nodded, and Sephiroth turned and went back up the stairs. The other two followed, and Sephiroth stepped outside into the cold night air, the sun not yet rising. He could see in through the windows, and watched Cloud go straight up to Reno and embrace him, the red-head returning it tightly. They weren't speaking, but sometimes words weren't needed.

Emotions were a lot of work, but Sephiroth figured the end result was a camaraderie that compared to nothing else. Once this ordeal was over with, Sephiroth made a silent oath to work on his friendships with Angeal and Genesis.

No need to overdo it, after all.

The softest pink was beginning to rise in the sky when the sound of a helicopter was heard, and Sephiroth went inside and beckoned for the others to leave. The left the inn and exited Healin, where a Shinra helicopter was landing not far on the outskirts of town. The side door opened, and Zack and Angeal were there to help them in. Reno gave a quick kiss to Zack before giving him a lopsided grin and moving into the cockpit, replacing Tseng as the pilot.

"_Where to now, Boss?" _Reno asked, his voice crackling over the intercom.

Tseng didn't answer right away, but Sephiroth already had an idea and replied first.

"Safe house C-1," Sephiroth ordered, and Reno gave the affirmative before the helicopter took off.

It was a short enough flight, and Sephiroth remained awake the entire time. He and Angeal were the only ones to, however, as a look around the cabin revealed everyone had dozed off. Angeal was looking at him carefully, but Sephiroth just looked back and gave a small shrug, a gesture that he never did so Angeal just raised an eyebrow curiously.

Once they landed at the safe house, Angeal approached Sephiroth alone. The silver general wasn't hiding, exactly, but he was alone along the side of the lake sitting in the dirt.

"I have come to realize that dealing with emotions is a lot of work," Sephiroth admitted as Angeal slid down to sit in the dirt with him. "But if it means having a better camaraderie with you and Genesis, I'm willing to work."

"…It is a lot of work," Angeal said, watching the sun sparkle on the lake. "It can wear you out, and make you feel old and tired. Especially the guilt and remorse you can feel. It's never easy."

"It was not your decision on how the drug was handled," Sephiroth said, and Angeal just shook his head.

"No, but it was my responsibility," Angeal said. "I can't change how everything happened, but I'm going to make sure it never happens again."

Sephiroth just looked at his friend and nodded, turning back to the lake. They had a military to rebuild, homes to construct, and lives to mourn. But for right now, they were safe, healing, and best of all, drug-free.

**END**


End file.
